English dictionary



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English adjective: tough

1. tough not given to gentleness or sentimentality


SamplesA tough character.


Similarhard-bitten, hard-boiled, pugnacious, tough-minded, unsentimental


See alsohard, insensitive


Antonymstender

2. tough very difficult; severely testing stamina or resolution


SamplesA rugged competitive examination.
The rugged conditions of frontier life.
The competition was tough.
It's a tough life.
It was a tough job.


Synonymsrugged


Similardifficult, hard


Antonymseasy

3. tough physically toughened


SamplesThe tough bottoms of his feet.


Synonymstoughened


Similarcallous, calloused, enured, hardened, inured, thickened, weather-beaten


See alsoexperienced, experient, rugged, strong


Antonymsuntoughened, tender

4. tough substantially made or constructed


SamplesSturdy steel shelves.
Sturdy canvas.
A tough all-weather fabric.
Some plastics are as tough as metal.


Synonymssturdy


Similarrugged


Antonymsdelicate

5. tough violent and lawless


SamplesThe more ruffianly element.
Tough street gangs.


Synonymsruffianly


Similarviolent


Antonymsnonviolent

6. tough feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad')


SamplesMy throat feels bad.
She felt bad all over.
He was feeling tough after a restless night.


Synonymsbad


Similaruncomfortable


Domain usagecolloquialism


Antonymscomfortable, comfy

7. tough resistant to cutting or chewing


Similarcartilaginous, chewy, coriaceous, fibrous, fibrous, gristly, hempen, leathered, leatherlike, leathery, rubbery, sinewy, stringy, tough-skinned, unchewable


See alsoinedible, uneatable


Antonymstender

8. tough unfortunate or hard to bear


SamplesHad hard luck.
A tough break.


Synonymshard


Similarbad


Antonymsgood

9. tough making great mental demands; hard to comprehend or solve or believe


SamplesA baffling problem.
I faced the knotty problem of what to have for breakfast.
A problematic situation at home.


Synonymsbaffling, elusive, knotty, problematic, problematical


Similardifficult, hard


Antonymseasy


English noun: tough

1. tough (person) someone who learned to fight in the streets rather than being formally trained in the sport of boxing


Synonymsstreet fighter


Broader (hypernym)battler, belligerent, combatant, fighter, scrapper

2. tough (person) an aggressive and violent young criminal


Synonymsgoon, hood, hoodlum, punk, strong-armer, thug, toughie


Broader (hypernym)criminal, crook, felon, malefactor, outlaw


Narrower (hyponym)bully

3. tough (person) a cruel and brutal fellow


Synonymsbully, hooligan, roughneck, rowdy, ruffian, yob, yobbo, yobo


Broader (hypernym)aggressor, assailant, assaulter, attacker


Narrower (hyponym)bullyboy, muscle, muscleman, plug-ugly, skinhead, tough guy









Based on WordNet 3.0 copyright © Princeton University.
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